John McCain
is too old to be president. On inauguration day 2009 he will be 72 years
old.  If Sen. McCain ended up serving
until inauguration day 2017 he would be 80 years old.  That’s way too old to be president.

Airline pilots have to retire at 65.  Although Sen. McCain is a trained pilot, the government says it’s unsafe for him to fly you to Disney World.

Air traffic controllers have to retire at 56.  I guess we can’t trust someone over 56, because watching a radar screen is too complicated or difficult a job.

Sen. McCain is even too old for the US Military.  Military personnel can’t serve on active duty after age 62.

I write this not to insult senior citizens who still are working and contributing.  God bless you, and keep it up, but don’t try to get your shaky old hands on America’s nuclear button.

I am writing this because Republicans are making a big deal about Sen. Obama’s age.  He will be 47 on inauguration day.  I think that’s the perfect age to become president.

Look at the men who made it on Mount Rushmore.  On his inauguration day Theodore Roosevelt was 42; Abe Lincoln was 52; Thomas Jefferson was 53 and George Washington was 57.  That works out to an average age of 51 which is exactly how old Sen. Obama would be at the beginning of his second term.

In fact, Sen. McCain would make history by being the oldest man ever elected president.  The current record holder is Ronald Reagan who was a spry 69 upon taking the oath of office.  Rounding out the top five are:  William Henry Harrison (age 68), James Buchanan (age 65), George H.W. Bush (age 64) and Zachary Taylor (age 64).

Reagan suffered from frequent memory lapses during his second term in office.  Bush and Buchanan were not re-elected and Harrison and Taylor died in office.  Age definitely matters.

So the Republicans are right to bring up this issue.  In this very important election, we should all be thinking just how much age matters.